All posts for Tag:CFC Media Lab

What do a vision-guided camera motion control system, a personalized learning channel for children, and a platform for professional, live interactive content have in common? They are among the eleven digital entertainment products that have been shortlisted for cohort 4 of ideaBOOST, the CFC’s next-gen business accelerator.

Our panel of industry jurors have reviewed and ranked the record-number of submissions we received this time around, and have arrived at a list of eleven shortlisted nominations, described below.

The final round of judging will wrap up on November 3 rd, 2014 with six finalists green-lit to participate in Canada’s top digital entertainment accelerator.

The SHIFT is a vision guided camera motion control system to enable dynamic cinematography.

Perceptiv Labs are bringing the capabilities of computer vision and robotics to cinematography. Their first product is a vision-guided subject tracking module that will interface with existing motorized gimbals and drones.

2. changio

A performance-based new media coalition rewards program.

changio is the first next-generation coalition virtual currency media rewards program that has been created with in-store, second screen, on-the-go, social, location-aware, mobile technologies. It has been designed to connect, inspire and reward consumers for engaging with their favourite brands (CPG and Retailers) and Content (TV and/or Movies); to drive impulse purchases, ongoing engagement and loyalty.

3. Kidobi

A personalized learning channel for every child.

Kidobi is a website and mobile application that creates a personalized learning channel for every child. It allows parents of preschoolers a guilt-free break by delivering the right content, to the right child, at the right time. You can think of it like Pandora meets Khan Academy on Sesame Street.

4. MBLOK

Smart Memory for Smart Devices.

MBLOK is developing a smart memory device that aims to personalize VPN and Cloud for offline access.

It not only eliminates the need for internet, but replaces multiple storage devices with one. VPN or cloud files are automatically backed up on MBLOK for quick access. View files on all of your devices wirelessly whether it is Blackberry smartphone, iPad tablet or a PC. Never worry about bad internet connection ever again.

5. OneStory

A platform to create and share video interviews.

There is nothing more powerful than a story to inspire or educate. Online video is our modern form of storytelling. OneStory allows you to ask a question and receive beautiful mini-documentary responses in return – with no editing for the user.

6. receiver

Save, Playlist and Discover Music and Video from any streaming service.

One library for user’s favourite content regardless of the streaming service it’s from.

7. SlimCut Media

SlimCut is a platform for publishers to engage, better understand, and monetize their audiences.

SlimCut Media offers a solution by drawing readers to a site through a loyalty program that offers free content in exchange for watching advertisements. By rewarding reader engagement, the platform increases website metrics, drives advertising revenue and boosts direct payment.

8. Stage TEN

Platform for professional, live interactive content.

Stage TEN is a platform to create professional, live and interactive content. It’s a TV control room web app that can preview, switch and mix live video feeds from any web-connected camera with pre-produced segments.

9. Vubble

Video you need to see now – and what you didn’t know you needed to see.

VUBBLE is next generation public media. It is a unique discovery platform that brings you the best video you need to see now and shows you video you didn’t know you needed to see. It employs and disrupts algorithm technology, using it to produce personalized, compelling content experiences and disrupting it by putting algorithmic technology in reverse to surface content beyond a user’s familiar feed.

10. Wriber

Software that helps companies and agencies create content more effectively.

Wriber is a software platform that makes it easy to create awesome content. As you type, Wriber shows you how to expand and tweak your content through intelligent suggestions, all dynamically generated in real-time. With Wriber, you can write original content up to 50% faster, be more engaging and targeted for your audiences, all while staying on brand.

“ideaBOOST has helped us navigate the entertainment and technology startup market, sharpen our product vision, and refine our strategies to target audiences and generate revenue,” said Sean Ramsay, Founder and CEO, Bublcam. “With support from some of the best minds in the digital entertainment industry, we are now positioned to get our 360-degree camera into key markets and in the hands of users across the globe.”

The evening was hosted once again by the always on-point Jian Ghomeshi, host and co-creator of the national daily talk show, Q, on CBC Radio One and CBC Television. More than three hundred attendees were on-hand to watch ideaBOOST cohort 3 companies pitch their latest products in search for brand partnerships or investment opportunities.

The six products presented at ideaBOOST Launch Pad included the following:

1. Bublcam (Created by Bubl Technology)

Bublcam is a 360° spherical camera, which captures panoramic video and stream it live online. It allows users the opportunity to experience the world and capture memories like never before. Showing off its street cred as being the latest in camera technology, the Bublcam also has the ability to stream in 3D via the Oculus Rift. Bublcam is set to soon explode onto the market as they are about to launch their beta program in collaboration with a roster of corporate partners.

2. L.A.R.G.E. (Created by Albedo Informatics)

L.A.R.G.E. is a toolkit, which enables you to create location-based projects or games enhanced with augmented reality (AR). Use your smartphone to shoot spaceships in your neighbourhood or even walk with dinosaurs in the park! Albedo Informatics is looking for partnerships to help them use L.A.R.G.E. in creative ways.

3. RadioMogul (Created by Mediazoic)

RadioMogul is an easy do-it-yourself tool for building your own branded radio station. Mediazoic helps you tackle the two biggest obstacles in building an online radio presence: A cross-platform compatible platform and legal music licensing. RadioMogul lets brands tap into the emotional connections people form with music, which has been proven to effectively facilitate brand engagement amongst consumers.

Think Dirty is an app which help users shop clean by making reading cosmetic and personal care product labels easy. The app clearly lays out all of the product’s ingredients, whilst indicating which are dangerous to your health. Founder Lily Tse states that “transparency is the new currency in marketing” and Think Dirty endeavours to keep it that way for consumers in the future.

5. uMentioned (Created by uMentioned)

uMentioned is an anonymous photo messaging app, which helps students stay in-the-know and connected with their campus on a personal level. While competitors such as Yik Yak and Whisper are vulnerable to being used as a tool for online bullying, Founder Ade Labinjo took the unique step of specifically cultivating a safe and positive community in uMentioned. Users are free to express themselves without the fear of rejection and are unable to use the platform to attack others.

The Incredible Tales of Weirdwood Manor is a unique interactive experience that is part book, part game, and part animated film that will soon be available on the iPad. This series offers all of the elements for it to become a major hit: A robot butler, a Harry Potter-esque epic fantasy story, challenging puzzles to exercise the child’s mind and much more.

Stay tuned, as you will be hearing about great things from these companies in the near future!

Apply for ideaBOOST

Are you trying to get your technology start-up off the ground? Have you got a product idea that will revolutionize the digital entertainment space? ideaBOOST is currently accepting applications from companies for the 4th cohort of the program beginning in September 2014.

Receive the tools, training, and mentorship to make your company smarter and faster, plus $15,000 towards development costs and $15,000 of in-kind services. Participants will join a four-month curriculum with core modules, including: business models, product development, customer acquisition, brand management, PR & marketing, legal, and capital strategies. Visit www.ideaboost.ca for more information.

When developing your company’s PR strategy, Ellyn Winters-Robinson says that you first need to establish your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Do these goals align with your overall marketing strategy? Some potential goals can include attracting investors or talent, showcasing your expertise, or managing conflicts or perceptions around your branding. Your PR strategy should be customized based on your goals. This past Friday, the CFC Media Lab hosted a day-long ideaBOOST Media Training workshop. The day was hosted by Ellyn Winters-Robinson from Ignition PR, a marketing communications and PR firm specializing in the technology sector. Throughout the time we had with her, Ellyn trained ideaBOOST cohort 3 companies on how to develop a well thought-out PR strategy, as well as how to work with media when pitching stories and conducting press interviews. Here is a taste of what she had to say:

In House or PR Agency: When deciding whether to keep PR in-house or outsource it to an external agency, both options have their pros and cons that requires consideration. A pro for keeping PR in-house is that it is often perceived as being more credible than an agency’s PR. However, a con is that in-house PR can have limited reach and resources. On the other hand, a pro for using a PR agency is that it may allow for greater creativity and they generally have a wider reach. A con is the sometimes high cost and agencies can be perceived as being overly aggressive at times.

Build a Storyline: Successful PR strategies leverages an enticing story when approaching media for press. When developing your storyline, consider telling the tale of a hero’s journey such as when an underdog achieves success. One can also look at the following for sources of inspiration: Surveys, the news cycle, being newsworthy yourself or talking to your customers.

Tactics For Getting Press Attention: To get your company’s story and message to market, you can consider the following tactics: Position yourself as a thought leader, write a news release, ask for a product review, pitch a story directly, find press opportunities on HARO and Twitter, promote a product launch, and offer contributed articles or customer stories. Each tactic experiences varying levels of success, depending on a case-by-case basis.

Create a Positioning Statement: When prepping for an interview, create a positioning statement. This is a general statement which provides context for your main message. It functions as a good starting point for an interview and will help your interviewer hook your story into a larger issue or trend.

During the workshop, ideaBOOST participants were also put through faux press interviews on camera. This was to test out and improve their on-camera body language and performance. It took a few attempts, but by the end of the exercise our cohort 3 teams were bonafide experts. When the next interview opportunity arises, they will be ready for their close-ups! Apply for ideaBOOST today!

Are you trying to get your technology start-up off the ground? Have you got a product idea that will revolutionize the digital entertainment space? Then apply for ideaBOOST today!

When launching a new business strategy, Warren Coughlin says the following is something one must keep in mind. Business comes from two broad categories: repeat customers and new customers. Both types will require a different acquisition strategy, as they will have very different needs and expectations. Combining the strategies for the repeat and new customers creates the Y of “Y You Profit”.

This past Tuesday marked the third Entrepreneur Series at the Spoke Club. Each month we invite serial entrepreneurs to join us for an intimate discussion, and to offer up advice on launching and running a successful company.

This month’s entrepreneur was Warren Coughlin, a business coach, consultant, trainer and facilitator. He works with ethical entrepreneurs and mission driven organizations to strategically build businesses that matter: those that make a lot of money while helping make the world a better place.

Throughout the evening Warren outlined key drivers for profitability and holding the right mindset for success. Here is a little bit of what he had to say:

Focus On Profit: When trying to grow your business, focus on profits. A lot of people get excited about big sales numbers. But there are lots of businesses that have seen big sales growth with declining profits. It’s the bottom line that counts.

10 & Then: Coughlin suggests developing a marketing strategy, which includes 10 or more marketing tactics to diversify your efforts. The rationale is that if 3 initiatives fail, you will still have 7 that are effective. However, it is also recommended that if you are a new business, do not attempt to execute all 10 tactics at once. You will just end up overwhelming yourself. Build slowly and measure.

7 Ps of Profit: To achieve profit success the following Ps need to be addressed: A product mix that’s appropriate for you customers’ needs, promotional/marketing efforts, established business processes, people to run said processes, some strategic planning and the entrepreneur’s personal growth. To round it out, these factors must also be supported by the final P, your principles. This will lead to more satisfaction in your life.

Entrepreneur’s Quality of Life: As an entrepreneur, you deserve to live a high quality of life. To do so requires you to intentionally live what he calls a “Top Right Life”, one in which you are both satisfied with your results and engaged in your activities. Living Top Right will allow you to experience personal fulfillment driven by a sense of purpose, ownership, accountability and responsibility. An example of such an entrepreneur is Richard Branson, who is highly engaged with his work and seems to always be having fun in life.

Ultimately, all of this means you have to be intentional about your business and your life. Give up excuses and reasons and focus only on what will produce the results you want. When you do, you realize both the business and the life of your dreams.

Successfully crowdfunding your project on indiegogo will validate your project idea to VCs. The willingness of those to spend their hard earned money demonstrates the presence of a market.This was amongst one of the many teachings from Ayah Norris, Marketing & Community Management at indiegogo.

Earlier this week, the CFC Media Lab hosted an indiegogo workshop for ideaBOOST cohort 3 companies. They were taken through a presentation about the platform’s various services and benefits, as a well as a rundown of what factors lead to a successful campaign.

While talking at ideaBOOST, Ayah offered some of the following insights:

Your Networks: At the beginning of your campaign, most fundraising will take place within your own networks. Completed campaigns were successfully able to acquire contributors outside of their immediate associates.

Mitigate Risk: indiegogo can be utilized as a tool to gauge the market’s interest in your product. If your campaign fails to reach its goal, that can be a sign that your idea doesn’t have a substantial market at this time.

Cost Out Your Perks: Before launching your campaign, don’t forget to cost out the perks offered to contributors and incorporate it into your total ask. These are often accidentally overlooked, when they in fact require time and money to execute.

Be Realistic: Setting an ambitious goal doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll raise more money. Instead, it’s often the case that a modest amount is more surmountable. A large ask usually requires the campaigner to already have a substantial online profile.

Promotional Mistakes: Campaigners sometimes take part in rookie mistakes hindering their performance. This can include the following: Starting your campaign at $0, over-promoting too early on, spamming your networks, panhandling and only taking part in one-way communication.

The Three Ps: For an indiegogo campaign to be successful, the following three elements should be perfectly in-line: Pitch, perks and promotion. It is more difficulty to succeed if you lack in one area.

The CFC Media Lab recently partnered with indiegogo to launch an ideaBOOST campaign page. Stay tuned, as in the near future we will begin populating this page with campaigns to assist cohort companies in their continued growth and development.

Showcasing the Work of Talented Students from The Digital Futures Program

This past Tuesday, the CFC Media Lab partnered with OCADU to host E-Leo: The Digital Futures Initiative’s Industry Day. Accompanied by good food and cool music, the evening featured work created by the talented students and alumni from the Digital Futures Initiative (DFI) program at OCAD University.

About the program: The Digital Futures graduate program responds to the increasingly important and sophisticated role of digital technology as a magical catalyst for integrating societal, cultural and economic change. Candidates for the Graduate Diploma in Digital Futures are practising designers from a wide range of professions wishing to augment their skills and knowledge to play leadership roles within their industries and organizations. This program is offered in partnership with the CFC Media Lab.

The CFC Media Lab is delighted to invite you to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at our upcoming E-Leo Industry Day Networking Event on Tuesday, December 3rd 2013 at The Open Gallery.

Hosted by the CFC Media Lab and OCAD University, the e-Leo exhibit is an interactive gallery showcase of student, alumni, and faculty work alongside some of the world’s top designers. You and other guests will explore multidisciplinary thinking in design and get a taste of our world class Digital Futures Program.

About the program: The Digital Futures graduate program responds to the increasingly important and sophisticated role of digital technology as a magical catalyst for integrating societal, cultural and economic change. Candidates for the Graduate Diploma in Digital Futures are practising designers and working professionals in fields such as IT, media and communications, entertainment and the cultural industries who wish to augment their skills and knowledge to play leadership roles within their industries and organizations.

On display: New and experimental smart products, augmented reality games, wearable technology, digital and hybrid games, cities of the future, video and sound installations. Also see Project e-Leo: a fascinating project about modern day Leonardo da Vinci created by Canada’s top design thinkers.

If you are interested in exploring the Digital Futures Initiative program further as a prospective student, please feel free to also attend the Graduate Recruitment Day. To register a time slot for an OCADU visit and workshop, please contact:

Caption: Pre-show Buffer Festival red carpet coverage courtesy of the Canadian Film Centre and ASTOUND Initiative. Despite the rain and cold, YouTube stars and fans came out to shine.

On Saturday, Buffer Festival hosted a VIP gala at the Jane Mallett Theatre where our stars walked a red carpet, hosted by Tim Deegan from ApprenticeA Productions and Shira Lazar of What’s Trending. They were met by hundreds of screaming fans who camped outside of the venue to meet their favourite internet idols.

The gala itself was hosted by Craig Benzine, also known as WheezyWaiter and Michael Buckley of the What The Buck Show. New never-before-seen content was showcased to our audience of YouTubers and industry delegates. Megan Tonjes and The Gregory Brothers both performed live onstage.

Buffer Festival, produced by ApprenticeA Productions and co-presented by the Canadian Film Centre, showcased the best creative content on YouTube and offered insight into why a growing generation is consuming media online.

This past Wednesday, the CFC Media Lab invaded the super exclusive launch party for the Made in NY Media Center with Body/Mind/Change, our latest co-production with TIFF. Our installation, complete with 3D printed PODs and images projected onscreen, were the definite highlight of the evening.

About Made in NY Media Center
Made in NY Media Center is located in DUMBO, Brooklyn where storytellers from multiple disciplines, industries and platforms create, collaborate, connect and incubate across a spectrum of programs, events and experiences. They strive to bring together innovators in film, video, gaming, technology and more through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship and content creation.

About Body/Mind/Change
In Body/Mind/Change, Cronenberg partners with BMC Labs, a fictional biotech firm, to develop biotech enhancement implants inspired by the intellectual property found in his films, such as Scanners, Videodrome and eXistenZ. Cronenberg is the first participant in the project. At launch on October 25, registered participants will be guided through an episodic interactive narrative that functions as a simulator for training their PODs. Completing this three-part experience will guarantee them a unique POD generated from their behaviour during the simulations.

Body/Mind/Change is a co-production between TIFF and CFC Media Lab, with creative direction and experience design by Lance Weiler. Presenting Partner for Body/Mind/Change is the department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Interactive Fund with support provided by the Government of Ontario. Executive producers are Noah Cowan, Ana Serrano and Shane Smith. Ana Serrano is the producer.

“ideaBOOST has helped us navigate the entertainment and technology startup market, sharpen our product vision, and refine our strategies to target audiences and generate revenue,” said Sean Ramsay, Founder and CEO, Bublcam. “With support from some of the best minds in the digital entertainment industry, we are now positioned to get our 360-degree camera into key […]

When developing your company’s PR strategy, Ellyn Winters-Robinson says that you first need to establish your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Do these goals align with your overall marketing strategy? Some potential goals can include attracting investors or talent, showcasing your expertise, or managing conflicts or perceptions around your branding. Your PR strategy […]

When launching a new business strategy, Warren Coughlin says the following is something one must keep in mind. Business comes from two broad categories: repeat customers and new customers. Both types will require a different acquisition strategy, as they will have very different needs and expectations. Combining the strategies for the repeat and new customers […]

Successfully crowdfunding your project on indiegogo will validate your project idea to VCs. The willingness of those to spend their hard earned money demonstrates the presence of a market. This was amongst one of the many teachings from Ayah Norris, Marketing & Community Management at indiegogo. Earlier this week, the CFC Media Lab hosted an indiegogo […]

This week, the Academy of Canadian Film & Television announced the nominations for the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards. Much to our delight, several alumni and current program participants of the CFC Media Lab were included in this year’s crop of digital media nominations. We congratulate the following on their nominations: Best Cross-Platform Project – Children’s […]

Showcasing the Work of Talented Students from The Digital Futures Program This past Tuesday, the CFC Media Lab partnered with OCADU to host E-Leo: The Digital Futures Initiative’s Industry Day. Accompanied by good food and cool music, the evening featured work created by the talented students and alumni from the Digital Futures Initiative (DFI) program at OCAD University. About the […]

Will You Be the Next Leonardo da Vinci of the Digital World? The CFC Media Lab is delighted to invite you to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at our upcoming E-Leo Industry Day Networking Event on Tuesday, December 3rd 2013 at The Open Gallery. Hosted by the CFC Media Lab and OCAD University, the e-Leo […]

This past Wednesday, the CFC Media Lab invaded the super exclusive launch party for the Made in NY Media Center with Body/Mind/Change, our latest co-production with TIFF. Our installation, complete with 3D printed PODs and images projected onscreen, were the definite highlight of the evening. About Made in NY Media Center Made in NY Media Center […]